CAIR-Chicago Rep. to Join Forum on Muslim-West Relations in Copenhagen, Denmark
Communications Coordinator Sultan Muhammad to join 100 young Muslims from 15 nations CAIR-Chicago’s Communications Coordinator Sultan Muhammad is scheduled to participate in the second "Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow" forum in Copenhagen, Denmark, July 7 to July 9 alongside 100 young Muslims from 15 nations to discuss what they can do to improve Muslim-West relations. Muhammad says “It is without question humbling to have the opportunity to participate in such a defining event of our time wherein the usual is not suitable.”
Those selected embody a wide spectrum of Muslim representation by: sect, ethnicity, profession, religiosity, and individual politics. The forum hopes to build a constructive movement of young Muslims to reject and marginalize extremism.
Convening the forum are two U.S. organizations dedicated to bridging the divide between Muslims and the West, the Cordoba Initiative (www.cordobainitiative.org ) and the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA, www.asmasociety.org), founded by it’s Executive Director Daisy Khan.
Among the participants are prominent Western Muslim scholars such as Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, author of “What’s Right with Islam” and Tariq Ramadan, author of “To be a European Muslim,” acclaimed Turkish cartoonist , Salih Memecan and a showcase of popular Muslim comic, Azhar Usman. CAIR-Chicago’s Sultan Muhammad will participate in a roundtable conference themed “Media and its Portrayal of Islam.”
The MLT (Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow) is an intra-faith conversation among young Muslims on major issues such as integration, identity struggles, Islamic reactions to secularism, gender equality, among other challenging points that breed alienation and extremism.
The conversations to be discussed will aim toward developing strategies that will contribute to the fostering of positive Muslim identities in the West, building of intra community partnerships, and reevaluating Muslim outreach methods. The forum seeks to candidly discuss existing shortcomings, and implement programs that will precipitate much needed change.
The highly anticipated event has garnered impressive coverage by international press such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, BBC World Radio, Radio Liberty, and National Public Radio USA., not to mention an equally broad range of support from Islamic organization world wide:
Resources: MLT Press Release
http://www.asmasociety.org/home/9.pdf
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